Counting and Cracking is one of the most successful pieces of Australia theatre in the last decade. After an incredibly successful debut season in 2019 and an initial Melbourne season this year, the production returns to Sydney before heading to New York to play at the Public Theatre, which has played host to Hamilton and Cabaret among many of Broadway’s biggest hits. Telling the story of a family’s multi-generational journey from Colombo, Sri Lanka to Sydney, the importance of telling an Australian story that goes beyond the bounds of Anglo-Saxon hegemony on a global stage cannot be understated. 

This iteration of the play is set in Bay 17 at Carriageworks. This is not a traditional theatre but provides considerably more stage space and seating than Belvoir’s Upstairs Theatre which felt necessary for this production. It is a fabulous space that is used incredibly well by the production team. The set design, led by Dale Ferguson, is incredibly immersive and is well complemented by the sound design of Stefan Gregory. 

The most noticeable thing about this production is its length. This is not a play that holds anything back and this is reflected in its 3 hour, 30 minute length. In most circumstances, I tend to be highly critical of plays of this length (or even shorter plays) because, often, the increased length comes at the consequence of tightness in the writing, which is generally felt in the production. However, in this case, the length feels necessary in order to chart the odyssean journey of the family from 1956 to 2004 and to adequately address all the thematic complexities that the story presents. 

The story starts with loss as Siddhartha, a Sri-Lankan Australian man, is sent into the Georges River to spread the ashes of his grandmother at the request of his mother. Immediately, we see the familial dynamics and their intersection with culture. The play does a superb job of capturing this dynamic which provides the perfect springboard for the ensuing temporal shifts. 

What separates a good play from a great play is often its use of chronology. In this case, it is the creative use of temporal shifts that make this play truly magical. Playwright S Shakthidharan and Director Eamon Flack use these shifts to create a mystique that surrounds the play, often merging the characters’ pasts with the present. This is clear in some of the most pivotal moments of the play when the main subjects of the play, Radha and Thirru, are juxtaposed against their past selves, leading to poignant moments of reflection. 

This play covers a very complicated historical period and deals with many of the intricacies of the Sri Lankan Civil War. Although the play is certainly long, it deals with history in a way that is engaging and immersive, providing an evocative and detailed account of the horrors that so many in Sri Lanka faced. The play also deals peripherally with the plight of refugees coming to Australia, which is done well for the most part although the subtlety of the ending perhaps slightly dampens the poignancy of the message. 

The acting in this production is also of the highest quality. All the actors play a number roles and move between them seamlessly. In a play where the chronology and the casting shifts so frequently, the fervour in which every actor embodies their role is integral to ensuring the success of the show, which is something most commendable about this production. While every actor on stage is superb, Nadie Kammallaweera and Antonyhasan Jesuthasan stand out in their exploration of passion, love, betrayal and tragedy. There is also something special about seeing a majority South Asian cast on an Australian stage and, given the quality of the performance, must be something that sends a message to the rest of the industry. 

This is a play that is exquisite in its construction and execution from start to end. South Asian stories in Australian theatre are scant and the fact that this play has been so successful has been incredibly important for the diaspora. This is, without a doubt, the finest piece of theatre to hit Australian stages this year and cannot be recommended highly enough.

Rating: ★★★★★

Counting and Cracking plays at Carriageworks until 21^st July. For more information, click here.

Photo: Pia Johnson